Protecting you and your family

• Protects vulnerable individuals: Summit County Probate Court oversees guardianships and conservatorships, ensuring that minors, older adults and individuals with disabilities receive proper care and that their rights are protected.

• Ensures fair distribution of property: Summit County Probate Court ensures individual’s assets are distributed according to their will or state law upon their passing, reducing conflicts and confusion among family members.

• Prevents fraud and abuse: Summit County Probate Court supervises estates and guardianship accounts, preventing exploitation of individual’s property.

• Maintains community trust: Summit County Probate Court guarantees that legal processes around inheritance and guardianships are handled transparently and fairly.

• Brings families together: Summit County Probate Court finalizes adoptions, issues marriage licenses and finalizes name changes helping families with new beginnings.

Steve Elliott’s career has been defined by service to his profession and  to the community at large.

Steve’s professional life began as a law enforcement officer, initially with the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.  As a Parole Officer he strived to keep Summit and Cuyahoga Counties safe while encouraging offenders on his case load to move forward. Steve also worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia as a Federal Officer and received an Exceptional Performance Award for Superior Accomplishment and Valuable Service to the CIA.

For the past 7 years, Steve has worked closely with retiring Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer as a Court Investigator/Magistrate and Magistrate, becoming Chief Magistrate in January of 2023. He has first-hand experience making important decisions regarding Probate Court operations, policy and personnel. Prior to joining the Probate Court, Steve practiced law for years. He specialized in complex civil and real estate litigation, with a strong concentration in estate planning, probate administration and litigation, and guardianships.

This experience as a law enforcement official, judicial officer and magistrate have prepared him to be the next Judge of the Summit County Probate Court.

Probate Experience

• Helped hundreds of clients navigate the estate planning, probate and guardianship process as an attorney.
• Represented clients in probate litigation cases as an attorney.
• Served as Guardian of many Summit County residents who had no family to act as guardian.
• Represented wards in guardianship oppositions as a lawyer.
• Presided over hundreds of probate cases as a Magistrate including estate, guardianship, adoption, adult protective order, mental illness, and name change cases.
• Developed curriculum on guardianship education with other judicial officers for Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio Judicial College.
• Presented at various legal conferences and community organizations on Probate topics.

Steve has been a Summit County resident for 25 years and lives in Green with his wife Ann and their three children. He enjoys watching his children play baseball and softball in high school and college and enjoys rooting on his favorite Ohio sports teams.

In addition to his varied work experience, Steve is very involved in our Summit County Community as:

• Board Member Community Action Akron Summit
• Board Member Oriana House Advisory Board
• Child and Family Leadership Exchange Advisory Committee Member
• Immediate Past Chairperson of Akron Bar Association Probate Section Planning Committee
• Leadership Akron, Leadership on Main Planning Committee Member
• Leadership Akron Signature Class 40 graduate
• Summit County Nursing Home Task Force Member
• Crisis Intervention Team Trainer
• Trustee of Harmony Springs Christian Church
• Frequent lecturer on probate topics for Ohio Association of Magistrates, Akron Bar Association, University of Akron School of Law and various community agencies
• Prior coach of many youth sports teams in Green and various travel sports organizations